lhfdvolly

EJ Metals of Wisconsin is currently building an attack pumper for The Long Hill Fire District in the Town of Trumbull, CT. The truck is being built on an F-550 4x4 chassis and delivery is expected some time in June.

EJ Metals of Wisconsin is currently building an attack pumper for The Long Hill Fire District in the Town of Trumbull, CT. The truck is being built on an F-550 4x4 chassis and delivery is expected some time in June.

BFD389RET - What exactly is your point? I couldn't follow your thought process at all - you're all over the place. ????

Howell's new (Rescue) Engine 111. Beautiful Rig!

 
 

So I guess Mount Vernon has no social media policies and that's why this moron still has a job?

So I guess Mount Vernon has no social media policies and that's why this moron still has a job?

West Harrison Fire Department
Engine 267
2016 Seagrave Marauder II
Waterous 1500 GPM / 750 Gal
Cummins 450HP/Allison Automatic
*Not fully outfitted with equipment yet*
Seagrave Serial Number 78H83
 
Special thanks to all those involved in helping me get the photos!
 

 

 

 

 
 

 


 

West Harrison F.D. took deliver of our new seagrave Engine 267. Big thanks to Hudson Valley fire equipment.  

 
The Pawling situation was slightly different. The Pawling PD was comprised of part-timers, many who worked full time PD jobs elsewhere. There were ,of course, a few bad apples that constantly made life "difficult" for some of the residents. Personalities won out over principles. (Sounds familiar doesn't it?)  The County Sheriffs Dept picked up many of the part-timers after taking over. Better service? I doubt it.
 
Now back to Port Chester. As any firefighter who works or worked in a combination dept knows, the vollies who hate the "paidman" the most are the ones totally incapable of passing the requirements to becoming a professional firefighter. They are, to say the least, green with envy. Then, there is the next bunch who are successful in life and harbor no resentment. They tend to take a back seat (unfortunately) to the issues because they have a life and can "take it or leave it," when it comes to the FD. The remainder, usually the highest percentage of members, active or not, some living in Florida, North Carolina, etc. just don't give a rats ass. As was stated in prior posts, the union needs to get some volllie support. Ang's post seems to say there is some, and hopefully it grows.
 
The next thing the PCFD needs to do is impeach all three chiefs. Lets face it, they're losers. Didn't the head chief get thrown out of his prior volunteer dept ? They need guys like Joe" Pug", Bob Thalhiemer, Vinny Lyons ,sr., and Bill Neathercott to come back and lead the dept. They were gentlemen, who didn't play games with anyone, especially with the public's safety. Enough of me ranting. 32 years in the fire service and the only thing that got better were the rigs.

 
 I dealt with this problem for my entire career as a firefighter. The active members of this department are dealing with this problem even more now.
 
 I was a volunteer firefighter in another town in a combination dept. We all got along great. Then I move to take the job I worked for so hard to get and I find out that I entered a "War Zone". Guys hated me and I didn't even know them. No doubt many of them resented the fact that I came from a distance to get that job. It was actually the sixth test I took and I finely got hired.  I knew that a lot of those guys had families, train on their off time, go to calls in the middle of the night, then get up the next morning to go to their jobs, "JUST AS I DID". But now these guys hate me for the Job I do. I couldn't understand that at all.
 
 It took a long time for this to actually sink in. In the beginning I figured it was only a few. But soon I learned it was actually the majority taking part in actions against myself and brother firefighters. I wish it wasn't like that because many times when we needed them, they were there to help us.
 
  Also what I didn't understand is how could I have so many volunteer firefighter friends outside my own home town. They respected me and I certainly respected them for the job they did. Not only are we friends, but we really are Brothers with a common interest.
 
 Without a doubt, every one of those volunteer firefighters and officers should fight to get those laid off firefighters back to work. As Brother/Sister firefighters, "STAND UP FOR SOMETHING OR FALL FOR ANYTHING". We should be Unite'n not Fight'n to band together. Together we could represent a huge force in our purpose of helping others and saving lives. Together we could become a very powerful group with the ability of facts to back up what we say. But it's up to you, the vol firefighters to do it.
 
  Portchester Volunteer firefighters, tell those leaders and fire chiefs that you intend to get your Brother firefighters back to work now. Or Port Chester may need to find itself some other guys willing to respond to those calls. The ball is in your corner now. You have every right to hold those leaders responsible for what they did. And you have every right to demand they come back.
 
  You do that and I can pretty much assure you that no Port Chester Career firefighter will ever forget that. It would be a Win/Win for everybody.
 

My hands are still shaking over this . I was at Gulliver's  and as you all know to well that it is the early stages of the fire  that are the most critical and that night  we through firefighters after firefighters at the rescue side of it and  saved over 100 but that was when Engine 58 had a 2 man crew and Engine 59 had a 2 man crew because there where 16 on the job and the Volunteer side had men hanging off the rigs because there where no seats left to sit in. Port Chester is a very busy dept  and the call volume will burn out the volunteers going to the small calls like CO ,trash, brush, car, and what ever in the middle of the night . One of the Chiefs is a member on here .

Don't worry about where I came from , NOBODY AND I MEAN NOBODY  spoke to the board about the jobs but firefighters . The pubic does not care about the jobs and that is my point , all they care about is tax's going up and that's what I meant by not to focus  on the guys because they [ pubic don't care ] about  the guy's
 

I wouldn't be calling PCFD ENG58 out over anything that is taken out of context on this site.  The guy devoted his whole life to the PCFD both with and without a paycheck.

Thanks Lt. for the numbers. I wish more members here would have the knowledge in hand before they go off. Clearly there is a staffing issue not just in Rye but throughout the County and the State. I see it in my own department as well. Part of the "problem" is the dependency on Mutual Aid meaning many local governments have come to use it to bail out their own understaffed departments as if other cities, towns and villages resources are theirs to use at will to supplement their shortcomings. In my district we utilize it frequently and it works. Most towns here are "working class" and most departments are all-volunteer though several have career staff as well and they respond to requests for mutual aid whenever called. Many say consolidation into all-career departments is the only and inevitable answer. I am on the fence and see that position as viable but not inevitable. Perhaps Rye needs more career staff BUT perhaps they need to step up their recruitment and retention efforts on the volunteer side as well. Hopefully it won't take a tragedy before both sides of the issue are explored. I'll strap my helmet on and hunker down now. Be safe everyone.

Best of luck in your retirement Ange!

Well guys after 43 years as a Port Chester Firefighter [ 18 years very active volunteer working at DPW then getting the dream job getting paid to do what I love to do this is my last day. It didn't end the way I wanted it too but away I go . I was fortunate to catch the war years when we went out every day for a job worked side by side with many dept.'s and made a lot of life long friends on mutual aid. I saw a lot of death and sorrow [ Gulliver's 24 DOA Stouffer's 26 DOA 9/11 world trade center ] and saved a few along the way but my greatest call was closing a large window [ life savers building ] for a 84 year old lady who was freezing because her window was open and she needed help. The next day she baked a apple pie for me and my partner. So I say good bye to it all and hope that I left a small mark somewhere. To my 2 sons that are following or trying to follow in my foot step's keep up the good work in this most rewarding profession . Good luck to the guy's that are left on my job and hope that thing's get better for you and the people we were sworn to protect.
Angelo Sposta [ Retired Local #1971 ]

Best of luck in your retirement Ange!